I'd say, heat only to prevent frost. I've noticed in my greenhouse, it can get down below freezing and unless it's been below freezing all day, it really doesn't bother the plants inside.
Just be sure not to allow anyone to smoke around your tomato plants. One puff of tobacco smoke or someone tossing in a butt into the pot as an ashtray will mean your tomatoes will die.
There are tomato resistant varieties to this tobacco virus but it's better to be safe.
Never buy any tomato plants in which you see someone smoking in the area, they will turn yellow from the bottom up and die. Never smoke around tomato plants. Never buy tomato plants that have yellow leaves at the bottom.
If you've had bad luck with tomatoes dying in this way, it gets in the soil and you will either have to dump the soil or move it, if it's in the ground, to a new location.
2007-04-26 09:26:46
·
answer #1
·
answered by rann_georgia 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
We farmed tomatoes in South Africa, and in winter it gets fairly cold at night, around 10 degrees. We also had three degrees once, and the tomatoes survived. The fruit sets around midday, during the hottest part of the day, and the plants need a slight breeze or the wires tapped to set the pollen free. The plants should be coping well now, only heat when the night time temperature is predicted to be under 10 degrees C. If the plants get too cold, then their leaves will turn purplish along the veins. A constant temperature of about 20 degrees c is good, but anything from 15 to 30 or more is OK. We even had temperatures of over 40 degrees c and the plants survived. The hot dry air prevents diseases spreading.
2007-04-26 16:39:57
·
answer #2
·
answered by cakes4southafrica 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
Unless you're prone to severe frosts, which is unlikely at this time of year where ever you are, then night time temperature is irrelevant. You don't need to heat your greenhouse at night now.
Most gardeners will shade their greenhouse if anything, to regulate growth rate and help stop the plants drying out to quickly. So too much heat at this time of year is more of a problem than too little at night.
Keep them moist and water regularly. Pinch out the growing tips from between the leaves along the main stem and try growing marigolds with them to help keep white fly off of the plants. Feed if you want to with tomato feed as per directions on the bottle.
Hope that helps and hope you have tonnes of lovely tomatoes this year.
2007-04-26 16:16:49
·
answer #3
·
answered by Ian. Garden & Tree Prof. 3
·
0⤊
0⤋
Hi, I am in the UK too.
They will be perfectly allright without any heat now, especially as they are in the green house.
I am bringing mine on in a cold greenhouse, and today whilst I was pricking out my other veg in the garden, I found two tomato plants growing alongside my onions. They must have been from seeds which had dropped from the Tomatoes last year. Just give them plenty of water and earth up around the bottom of the stems, so that they can make more root.
2007-04-26 16:13:26
·
answer #4
·
answered by ? 5
·
1⤊
0⤋
Tomatoes need warm, not hot nights to set their fruit. I'm guessing about 15 C or even closer to 20 C. But daytime temps can't get too hot!
2007-04-26 16:09:49
·
answer #5
·
answered by fluffernut 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
I grow tomato plants too. Wait, they look like tomato plants.....
2007-04-26 16:34:16
·
answer #6
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
i am in the north west midlands and my tomatoes are outside all ready
2007-04-28 21:14:33
·
answer #7
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋